Bill on judges’
assets soonNew Delhi, June 26
The UPA government is planning to make it mandatory for judges to declare their assets and liabilities. Law Minister M Veerappa Moily today said a legislation would soon be introduced in Parliament, making it essential for judges to declare their assets and liabilities.

Punjab
seeks loan waiverNew Delhi, June 26Punjab today made another
fervent plea to the Planning Commission to waive the
militancy-period loan on the state to free it from debt trap.
The demand came at a meeting here today where the
commission hiked the 2009-10 annual plan for the state by
39 per cent

Punjab
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal presents a bouquet to
Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission Montek Singh
Ahluwalia during a meeting to finalise the Annual Plan
2009-10 of the state, in New Delhi on Friday. Tribune
photo: Manas Ranjan Bhui

Ties with Pak under stress: KrishnaNew Delhi, June 26
Slowly but steadily, the India-Pakistan normalisation process is gaining momentum.
The Foreign Ministers of the two countries today held a formal meeting on the margins of the ‘Outreach’ meeting of the G-8 countries at Trieste in Italy.

Maoists
trigger landmine blastsAsk CPM to
release Gour or face attacks on its leadersKolkata, June 26During their flushout
operation at Lalgarh today, paramilitary forces and cops faced
landmine attacks in as many as seven places in the Pingboni
forest area, compelling them to halt at Kadasole for the day
instead of advancing further to the destination at Ramgarh.

Finally,
rains hit MumbaiMumbai, June 26Rains finally hit Mumbai
today giving some respite to the country’s financial capital
which has been reeling under a severe water shortage due to the
delayed monsoon this year. The first major downpour of the
season saw life in the city being thrown out of gear with roads
getting waterlogged, and trains and buses running behind
schedule.

Andhra
villages to get bottled waterHyderabad, June 26An ambitious scheme to
supply bottled mineral water for all villages in Andhra Pradesh
will be launched on August 15. Mini-plants for bottling water
will be set up in villages having a population of 1,500 and
above.

Over
a million Americans affected by swine fluWashington, June 26US health officials estimate that
as many as one million Americans may now have the new H1N1 (swine) flu.
Lyn Finelli, a flu surveillance official with the Centres for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC), voiced the estimate at a vaccine advisory
meeting on Thursday in Atlanta.

King
of Pop Jackson dies at 50Michael Jackson, King of
Pop who first enraptured audiences as a child star and eventually
Moonwalked his way into the hearts of millions around the world, died of
an apparent cardiac arrest in Los Angeles on Thursday.